Shipping containers are generally in the form of elongated cubes, with a door opening located in one of the elongated sides. The forward and rear faces of the container are provided with openings for hoisting the containers, which openings are in accordance with generally accepted international standards, separated by a center to center distance of 226 cm (89 in.).
It is well known to use aerodynamic deflectors with trucks and trailers and the like.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,948 (Alford) there is disclosed a deflector for caravan type trailers. Such deflector is formed from flat panels permanently attached to the trailer by means of hinges which permit the panels to be folded back along the sides of the trailer.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,936 (Mulholland) there is disclosed a fairing which secures to the rear face of a trailer. While it is indicated that the fairing is readily interchangeable between trailers, such trailers must be adapted to mount the fairing, and the transfer could not be accomplished by one person.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,808 (Bilanin) there is disclosed a plurality of panels which are hingedly attached to the rear of the trailer, so that they may be folded up flat against the rear of the vehicle when not in use. Again it is necessary that the trailer be specifically adapted to mount the panels.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,879 (Edwards) there is disclosed a prismatic deflector for attachment to the front wall of a large van or semi-trailer to extend over the top of the cab. While it is indicated that the deflector is demountable, it necessitates the specific adaptation of the van or semi-trailer for this purpose. Mounting and demounting of the deflector appear to necessitate the use of auxiliary means such as ladders or scaffolding, and more than one pair of hands.
Shipping containers are during the course of their use subject to very rough treatment, and particularly when they are used for the maritime shipment of goods, the containers are stocked side by side and end to end without leaving any space between them. Accordingly, any structure which projects outwardly will be crushed or torn away, and there is no possibility of permanently mounting any type of deflector to these containers. Accordingly, any deflector for use with a shipping container must be temporary, and be capable of being mounted when required and demounted when no required. The condition that the deflector be attached to the container only temporarily implies that the deflector will be available at the time that it is required, and that it be removable for storage when not required. The most simple and elegant manner of satisfying this dual requirement is that each tractor for hauling shipping containers be equipped with means for storing the defector. Accordingly, the driver can install the deflector as soon as it is required, and removed it upon delivery of the container. Desirably, the deflector must be mountable and demountable quickly by one person without necessitating any auxiliary equipment, preferably without necessitating the use of any tool. It is still further desirable that the deflector have a more or less universal applicability for use with all shipping containers without necessitating any modification of the containers or the use of any adaptor to accommodate the deflector to different styles of containers.
It is an object of this invention to provide a demountable air deflector for shipping containers.
It is a further object of this invention to provide demountable air deflectors that disassemble easily into a generally two dimensional form for storage and transportation.
It is another object of this invention to provide such demountable air deflectors that are mountable onto and demountable from containers by one person only without the use of any tool or other device.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide air deflectors that may be utilized with containers of different manufacturers without any adaptation.
In accordance with the board object of the invention, an air deflector for a shipping container or the like having fixed face and opposed upper corners thereto with openings therein that is easily demounted therefrom by one person without tools or assistance for storage and transportation in a generally two dimensional condition comprises a first planar isosceles triangular panel having a base and apex. A hook is provided adjacent the opposed ends of the base for engaging the corner openings of the container to suspend the first triangular panel from the shipping container adjacent the roof line thereof. A frame is provided including a strut portion releasably couplable to the first triangular portion adjacent the apex thereof to depend downwardly therefrom in oblique relationship, the strut portion serving to permit a person to hoist the first triangular portion into position to engage the hooks with corner opening of the container, or to disengage them when the air deflector is to be demounted. The frame includes at least one portion that will bear on the fixed face of the container to retain the strut in spaced apart relationship therefrom in a preferably vertical position, whereby the first triangular panel will extend downwardly outwardly from the fixed face of the container. The air deflector also includes second and third generally similar panels each having at least three sides, the first one of which has a length generally equal to the side of the first triangular panel. Cooperating hook means are provided on the first side of each of the second and third panels and the respective sides of the first triangular panel whereby the second and third panels may be suspended from the first panel. The second and third panels are proportioned so that when suspended in this manner, a second side thereof will be contiguous with the fixed face of the container, and a third side of the second panel will be adjacent along its length to the third sides of the third panel, the third sides in effect residing approximately in a vertical plane at right angles to the fixed face of the container. Means is provided for releasably retaining the third sides in their adjacent relationship.
Preferably, the second and third panels are trapezoidal, with the second and third sides thereof being parallel, whereby when the second and third panels are suspended from the first panel, the second and third sides will be vertical.
Desirably, the air deflector includes a pair of similar triangular flaps each having a first side generally coextensive with the fourth side of the trapezoidal are provided for releasably retaining the third side of the flaps in their adjacent relationship, the triangular panel, the trapezoidal panels and the flaps together with the fixed face of the container forming closed, hollow six sided figure symmetrical about the above mentioned vertical plane.
Conveniently the first triangular panel comprises similar left and right hand portions respectively residing on opposed sides of the vertical plane, which portions are hinged together so as to be movable between an open, generally coplanar position and a closed, superposed position for storage. Preferably means is provided for supporting the left and right hand portions in the open position to facilitate the placement of panel on the shipping container. Suitably the frame includes an upper portion that is secured to one of the left and right hand portions, to which upper frame portion the strut portion is releasably connectible. The upper frame portion is conveniently provided with a bracket that abuts the roof and the fixed wall of the container at the juncture thereof to render the air deflector more rigid. Preferably also, the frame portion that bears on the fixed face of the container to retain the strut in spaced apart relation comprises a telescopically adjustable brace to permit small adjustments to the verticality of the strut portion of the frame.
These foregoing objects and aspects of the invention, together with other objects, aspects and advantages thereof will be more apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the following drawings.